Friday, December 30, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

1:30 – 1:58:30

Who owns your Twitter account, and how much is each follower worth?

Say you work for a company and open a Twitter account, combining your name with the company’s. Are the myriad of followers you rack up tied to you as a personal entity, or to the company? When Noah Kravitz, a writer for cell phone news and reviews site PhoneDog.com, quit the company in October 2010, he not only changed his Twitter account from @Phonedog_Noah to @NoahKravitz, but he kept the 17,000 followers tied to his account. According to Kravitz, PhoneDog at first allowed him to keep the account, with the changed name, in exchange for tweeting about the company occasionally. Then eight months later, in July, PhoneDog sued Kravitz, claiming his massive Twitter follower list was a customer list. The company is seeking damages of $2.50 a month per each Twitter follower for eight months: a total of $340,000. The lawsuit, filed in Northern California, has sparked a larger debate. Do you think an employee can claim ownership to Twitter followers they’ve accumulated as part of their job? If they belong to the company, how much are they worth? Should an employee have to pay to keep them?

Guests:

Noah Kravitz, Editor at Large with TechnoBuffalo dot com and former writer for PhoneDog.com; he is being sued by the company over his Twitter account

Michael Overing, practicing attorney, and an adjunct professor at USC's Annenberg School of Communication who teaches courses in media law

2:06 – 2:30

Your computer will read your mind. No kidding.

On December 19, 2011, IBM unveiled its sixth annual “5 in 5” list, or five innovations that will change our lives within five years. What should you expect by 2016? Mind-reading, an end to junk mail, and (finally!) a farewell to the clumsy password system. That is to say, expect to provide biometric data (retinal scans, etc) instead of your mother’s maiden name or daughter’s birthday; expect the precision of your spam filters to increase; and expect computers and smart phones to read your brainwaves through bioinformatics—meaning they’ll call dad when you think “call dad.” Plus, kinetic energy-powered households and a much narrower gap between the digital “haves” and the digital “have nots,” thanks to improvements in mobile phone technology. Do you have a prediction that didn’t make the list? A fear or hope about a technology that did?

Guest:

Bernie Meyerson, research fellow and vice president for innovation at IBM. In 1992, he was appointed an IBM Fellow, IBM’s highest technical honor.

Millions of people have visited and photographed YosemiteNational Park, but many of those visitors have not seen the park in all four seasons. Los Angeles Times photographer Mark Boster spent a year photographing all four seasons in the region that spans eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, for what he has called Project Yosemite, “the project of my dreams.” Boster has been smitten by the beauty and grandeur of Yosemite since he first visited the park as a child with his family. With over 100 stunning photographs, Boster showcases the park’s colorful blooms and rushing waterfalls of spring, clear skies and copious tourists of summer, golden hues of fall, and winter's frozen glimmer. What is the most beautiful time of year to visit YosemiteNational Park? How does Yosemite compare to other national parks in terms of aesthetic allure? Tune in to find out.

Guest:

Mark Boster, (“boss-tuhr”) Los Angeles Times staff photographer. He’s been part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams during his 28 years with The Times and was recently recognized for his year-long Yosemite project at the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards.

Noelle Conti, Producer

Patt Morrison - winner of the 2010 RTNA Golden Mike for best Public Affairs program

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 – 1:40

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy talks about changes, progress and shrinking budgets Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy recently announced an “historic” contract with United Teachers Los Angeles – an unprecedented agreement that Deasy called “groundbreaking work” that is aimed at providing more freedom for teachers, school administrators and parents to manage their respective schools. In terms of “value added” teacher assessments, L.A. Unified will continue to provide the media with teachers’ scores but will do so without identifying the instructors. The district got caught in a firestorm of controversy last year when assessments were made public by the L.A.Times and teachers could be singled out based on job performance. California Governor Jerry Brown recently announced $1 billion in state budget cuts – on top of additional “trigger cuts” that will affect the district’s finances. The governor warns that additional cuts are on the horizon and LAUSD will have to find more places to cut. And high on the student body’s priorities is the district’s new healthful menu. Students have been crying foul that the new items on the cafeteria menu are less than appetizing – prompting the creating of a “junk food black market” where students are now eating more potato chips and soda than they did before the changes. What does John Deasy think LAUSD can do to deal with the budget crisis? What other changes might we see from LAUSD in 2012?

Guest:

John Deasy, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District

ON TAPE

1:41:00 – 2:58:30

Comedy Congress: live from the Crawford Family Forum

As far as political humor is concerned, what’s the gift that keeps on giving? The presidential primaries, of course. Comedy Congress hung up its Christmas stocking and found it full of Mitt and Newt and Barack – and it’s our holiday gift to you. Perry ups the voting age; Obama very politely asks Iran for his drone back and we play the highlight reel of Cain’s self-described brain twirlings! And just as we thought the Occupy movement was going into hibernation for the winter...Comedy Congress is here to take an unapologetic look at current events and review the best and worst stories of 2011.

Guests:

Alonzo Bodden,winner of season 3 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, regular performer and field correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; his DVD “Who’s Paying Attention” is available at Amazon

Greg Proops, host of the weekly podcast, The Smartest Man in the World, which you can find on iTunes or Proopcast.com

Ben Gleib, host of his own podcast Last Week on Earth with Ben Gleib on Kevin Smith's network

Thursday, December 29, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

DAVID LAZARUS IS GUEST HOST

PLEDGE DRIVE

1:07 – 1:19 OPEN

1:26 – 1:53

Time Warner Cable’s rates go up, again – will customers go too?

Time Warner Cable, the country’s second largest cable company, is giving its Southern California customers a not-so-nice present for the New Year: a substantial rate increase. Some rates for local broadcast channels will go up a whopping 27.4 percent, from $13.34 to $17. There will be a 9.5 percent increase for broadcast plus basic cable channels, and a 7.3 percent increase for the digital video package. Even the initial installation of Time Warner for video, internet or phone service is set to soar, from $32.99 to $49.99, a 51.5 percent increase. A Time Warner spokesman says the elevated rates are due to higher fees charged by broadcasting companies for access to channels such as ESPN and Fox Sports. Other cable companies, however, such as Comcast, say they don’t anticipate rate hikes in the immediate future. Will you switch cable companies, or drop cable altogether?

Guest:

Judy Dugan, research director, Consumer Watchdog

Jim Gordon, a spokesman for Time Warner

ON TAPE

2:08 – 2:44

If you'd like to make your New Year's resolutions stick, try this: have someone else make them for you.

New Year’s resolutions: noble and ephemeral, they make their appearance in the dead of winter, and somehow, in our bumbling attempts to stick with them, we claw our way to spring. By the end of the year’s first quarter, however, most of us have broken from our stated goals and moved onward down that road paved with good intentions. What if, however, you were no longer reporting just to yourself? Last year, New Yorkers Elizabeth and Michael Singer made resolutions for each other, instead of for themselves. Karen Pratt and her son Ben have given each other resolutions for ten years running—since Ben was 12, in fact. How hard would it be to hear someone other than yourself tell you to lose those pounds? Would you be willing to stick with your resolution if it was based on an observation from someone else? Or does the idea of facing a Quarterly Progress Report from someone other than your employer make you clench your teeth?

Guest:

Elizabeth Bernstein, writer of the Bonds column for the Wall Street Journal, where she explores human interactions at home, at work or among friends.

2:44– 2:54

The best of Steven King

Almost a decade has passed since literary critic Harold Bloom called the men and women of the National Book Foundation idiots for choosing to honor author Stephen King with a medal for distinguished contribution. Bloom criticized King for his pop horror and sci-fi genre affiliation, which he deemed without literary value. So we wonder what Bloom would make of the New York Times’ “Best Books of 2011,” which, for the first time ever, includes a work by King: “11/22/63,” his alternate take on the John F. Kennedy assassination, released in November. It’s King’s 52nd book, following up a continuous line of creepy, compelling novels going back to 1974’s “Carrie,” long considered a horror classic. Known for his prolific output, King has also been working on a sequel to his 1977 opus “The Shining” called “Dr. Sleep.” Have you read “11/22/63”? Do you think it’s as good as King’s other novels, and deserves a New York Times “Best Books of 2011” honor? What are your favorite books by King? Why does he merit appreciation, or not?

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:07– 1:19 SEGMENT 1: OPEN

(1:19 – 1:26: PITCH BREAK)

1:26 – 1:38 SEGMENT 2: Do you have egg on your face? If it’s dull, maybe you should

It’s that time of year again…when our skin gets unbearably dry. We spend tons of money on skin care products in this country, but are they worth it? Many of the products made by the beauty industry aren’t regulated, so it’s unclear if all the ingredients are safe or live up to their claims. Could some of the stuff in our refrigerator work just as well? We’ve heard that egg whites can firm skin and tighten pores; bananas exfoliate and moisturize, both beer and coconut oil can make hair shiny; oats can be used as a facial scrub; the lactic acid in yogurt moisturizes skin and can make it lighter; and olive oil is good for everything. Are these claims ‘old wives’ tales’ or do they actually work?

“For the majority of Muslims today, the central issue is not a clash with other civilizations. It is instead a struggle within the faith itself to rescue Islam’s central values from a small but virulent minority.” So asserts foreign correspondent Robin Wright in her new book, “Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World.” In “Rock the Casbah,” Wright, who has covered the Middle East since 1973, focuses on another small but fierce group: protestors and activists of the next generation, who name “pluralism” and “commonality” as their primary interests. To this end, Wright bases “Rock the Casbah” on stories of Muslims like Hissa Hilal, an amateur poet who reached the final round of “Poet of Millions” (think “American Idol”) by reciting a poem deeply critical of Islamic militants and militant clerics, earning multiple death threats in the process. In reviewing “Rock the Casbah” for the New York Times, Professor Mohamad Bazzi lauds Wright for her coverage of this community, but points out that the book’s argument “rests on [the] sweeping assertion” that this group is at all representative or effective. Bazzi also questions why Wright fails to discuss where groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood fit in to the idea of the “jihad against the Jihad,” given their continued popularity.

Guests:

Robin Wright, foreign correspondent and author, “Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World”

2:44:00 – 2:54:00 SEGMENT 3: The latest rumors on the NFL coming to LA Over the weekend, it seemed as if the Minnesota Vikings, one team being courted to move to Los Angeles, was going to stay put. However, those reports were unfounded, and we may just see another Minnesota team move to L.A. It isn’t just the Vikings that are being talked about, but also the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, and St. Louis Rams. All of the teams are looking for a new stadium. As it happens, there are two competing plans to build a stadium in L.A. One plan, by developer Ed Roski’s Majestic Realty, would be called Los Angeles Stadium, though it would be built in the nearby City of Industry. AEG’ Farmers Field is a competing plan, which would build next to Staples Center in downtown L.A. The Chargers have been in talks with San Diego since 2006 about getting a new stadium, but those talks have stalled because of the city’s inability to fund the project. The Jacksonville Jaguars were a team many discussed as possibly primed to move, but the new owner has promised to keep the team in Jacksonville. The Raiders have no firm plans to move or find a new stadium. Raiders’ owner Al Davis, who recently passed away, did not leave any plans as well. A provision in the Rams’ lease would allow them to leave the city if their stadium isn’t among the top eight stadiums in the NFL in 2014. There have been 19 stadiums built since St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome, which was erected in 1995. Rumors have been swirling around a possible football team moving to L.A. for years now. Is this just another case of always the bridesmaid and never the bride? What do you think the team should be named? Why can’t we just create our own team?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:08 – 1:19 SEGMENT 1: OPEN

(1:19 – 1:26 PITCH BREAK)

1:26 – 1:38 SEGMENT 2: Why not Jon Huntsman?

Just what is wrong with Jon Huntsman? He’s the former US Ambassador to China and the former governor of Utah. He’s got a proven track record of working toward a common goal with politicians outside his own party—a background that seems like it should matter to a nation that consistently gives its Congress less than 10% approval ratings. New Hampshire’s Concord Monitor endorsed him last week, saying Huntsman “would present the greatest challenge to Obama” and “provide mature, informed and steady leadership.” On paper, he looks like a great candidate for the GOP nomination—and yet, he consistently polls lower than the rest of the candidates, attracting about 2% of the vote. As the republican field narrows, why didn’t Huntsman catch fire? And how is the field shaping up with less than a week before the Iowa caucus?

Guest:

Ron Elving, senior Washington editor for NPR

VIA ISDN

(1:38 – 1:43 PITCH BREAK)

1:43 – 1:54 SEGMENT 3: Why not Jon Huntsman? (Cont’d )

2:08 – 2:20 SEGMENT 1: OPEN

(2:20 – 2:27 PITCH BREAK)

2:27 – 2:39 SEGMENT 2: Hawaii’s controversial past

Most people know that Hawaii was the last region in North America to enter the union, but many don’t know the elaborate history of the islands prior to being annexed. In her book Lost Kingdom: Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America’s First Imperial Adventure, author Julia Flynn Siler sheds light on the influential people and events that contributed to defining Hawaiian history and culture. Siler depicts the ancient monarchy that ruled the islands for generations and illustrates how the U.S. controversially pushed the last Queen of Hawaii, Lili’uokalani, out of power for U.S. military and commercial interests. Patt takes a closer look at that island paradise, the battleground of empire that a queen and our current president have called home.

How has Hawaiian culture changed since it became a state? How appropriate was it for the United States to annex Hawaii in light of the Congressional Apology Resolution and the Hawaiian sovereignty movement? What more should the U.S. do, if anything, to redeem itself to the indigenous people of Hawaii?

Monday, December 26, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

1:30 – 1:39

PTHSD: Do you have Post Traumatic Holiday Shopping Disorder?

Holiday shopping, drinks, dinners, travel and the spirit of giving is wonderful until …the tab for all the festivities shows up in your inbox or mailbox. There’s nothing like the black and white tally of the damage to snap us back to reality. It adds up quickly and if you aren’t paying close attention, you could wind up paying off your holiday debt much longer than is necessary. Have outstanding balances on numerous cards? Can you transfer them to the one with the lowest interest rate? Does it make sense to take out a low interest loan to pay off holiday debt? What about in-store price adjustments on merchandise you bought before the holidays that’s now on sale? All your post holiday shopping questions answered today on Patt Morrison.

B.R. Myers addresses allegations of fake mourning and self image in North Korea

As inhabitants of the world’s most isolated nation, North Koreans believe what they’re told. Propaganda has persuaded them that they are racially and morally pure, and that food donations to famine victims are in fact tribute from a terrified United States. After years of studying North Korean culture, literature and newspapers, analyst B.R. Myers argues that North Korean thinking is based on a belief system that views the North Korean people as innocent children at the bosom of a nurturing “Parent Leader,” whose primary role is to foster his (or her) children’s pureness and selflessness, protecting them from enemies like the US. The less we see North Korea in terms of Stalin and Confucius, he argues, and the more we understand this ideology, the closer we’ll be to understanding what motivates North Koreans, including former supreme leader Kim Jong Il and his successor, Kim Jong Un.

Guest:

B.R. Myers, a North Korea analyst at Dongseo (dongs-uh) University and the author of The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves—and Why It Matters

Friday, December 23, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:00 – 1:20

OPEN

1:20 – 1:40

Best and worst Christmas gifts…and what to do about them

Was it a Snuggie? A Chia pet? A monogrammed pink bunny suit? On the day after Christmas, what’s the etiquette of returning gifts, and of everything post-Christmas? Can you re-gift it? A recent Canadian poll found that 75 percent of people may hold on to their unwanted holiday gifts this season, even though the idea of re-gifting polls as being increasingly acceptable. What's causing us to hold on? For most, it's feelings of guilt or shame in hurting the gift-er's feelings. Advice goddess Amy Alkon joins Patt to answer all your questions, big and small, about holiday gift etiquette.

Guests:

Amy Alkon, advice columnist and author of “I See Rude People: One woman’s battle to beat some manners into impolite society”

CALL HER

1:40 – 2:00

All about GriffithPark and the La Brea Tar Pits, if you aren’t visiting them as we speak.

New York has its 843-acre Central Park; San Francisco has its 1017-acre Golden Gate, but both are tame in comparison to what the city of Los Angeles has to offer—the 4210 unwieldly acres of GriffithPark. Established in 1896 when L.A.’s population was only 110,000, the park used to lie outside city limits. The original donor of the land, Griffith J. Griffith, insisted that rail fares to the park be capped at a nickel so that all of L.A.’s citizens could enjoy it. The city has grown to surround the park, and many of us living in walking distance, but how much do you know about its history? If you aren’t out walking around in the park itself, join Patt and authors E.J. Stephens and Cathy McNassor to talk about their books on GriffithPark and the La Brea Tar Pits. E.J. Stephens has compiled images and facts on GriffithPark starting from the late 1800s; McNassor is the museum archivist of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the GeorgeC.PageMuseum at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits and has put together a visual history of the Tar Pits. The stories of each of these iconic components to our cityscape, today at one o’clock.

Surprise – men don’t think about sex as much as we (and they) think they do We’ve all heard the ballpark statistics about men and their incessant daydreaming about sex. But some new research from the OhioStateUniversity is throwing a little cold water on the common assumptions. The study showed that, while men do think about sex more than women on a daily basis, the number of times men think about sex isn’t nearly as high as we heard in junior high (...that men think about sex every seven seconds). The reality is closer to 19 times a day for men, and, surprising to some, that women think about sex 10 times per day. Even more surprising was the range of frequency of thoughts about sex between the genders – men’s racy suppositions ranged between one and 388 per day and women’s between one and 140, meaning that there aren’t many Americans of either gender who don’t think about sex at all. But the fact remains, though less that imagined, men still think about sex more than women. What do you think accounts for the difference? How often do you entertain thoughts of making whoopee?

Guest:

Terri Fisher, professor of psychology, OhioStateUniversity and author of the study

2:33 – 3:00

“TensionCity”: journalist Jim Lehrer on presidential debates

Award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer’s new book “TensionCity: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain” takes a witty, behind-the-scenes look at more than 40 years of televised presidential debates. Lehrer, long considered one of the most well respected figures in broadcast journalism, has interviewed every president since Gerald Ford, and has moderated eleven presidential and vice presidential debates. He is the executive editor and former anchor of PBS News Hour and author of 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays. Lehrer’s book includes in-depth interviews with candidates and other moderators, revealing the stories behind debate blunders, snafus, off-air conversations and critical moments. From candidate hesitations to jokes gone wrong, these tiny televised details had a direct impact on presidential elections, and, of course, history. Lehrer’s lively tales from the frontlines include Ronald Reagan’s affinity for one-liners, John McCain and President Barack Obama exchanging little eye contact during one 90 minute debate and Dan Quayle comparing himself continuously to John F. Kennedy. What presidential debate moments have surprised or shocked you the most? What moments would you like Jim Lehrer to shed some light on?

Guests:

Jim Lehrer, award-winning American author, playwright and journalist. He is the executive editor and former anchor of PBS News Hour and author of 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays.

Spanning a fifty-year career, Lehrer has interviewed every president since Gerald Ford and has moderated eleven presidential debates.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 – 1:18: OPEN

1:23 – 1:39

"Victory Day" 2.0—the new face of homecoming?

A modern twist on an old tradition played out this week in Virginia Beach, Virginia when two female sailors kissed to celebrate the homecoming of the U.S. Navy ship Oak Hill, which returned after eighty days at sea. The coveted “first kiss” is part of a Navy custom inspired by the famous photograph “V-J Day in Times Square,” of a sailor kissing a nurse on “Victory over Japan Day” in 1945. According to convention, sailors on ships buy raffle tickets with the hope of winning the chance to be the first one off the ship to kiss their loved one. This week, the winners of the drawing happened to be 23-year-old Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta. When she kissed her girlfriend, 22-year-old Citlalic Snell, the crowd of on-lookers cheered. Navy officials said it was the first time on record that a same-sex couple was chosen for the first kiss upon a ship's return. The two women reportedly met at a Naval training school and have been dating for two years, which they said was difficult under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Regarding the historical implication of the kiss, Gaeta acknowledged, "It's a big deal. It's been a long time coming." What is the significance of this kiss in the context of the U.S. military and society in general? How far has the LGBT community come in terms of gaining acceptance in mainstream society?

Guests: TBD

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

‘Tis the season for giving…layaway payoffs and others random acts of goodwill

At a time when people have less, they seem to be giving more. We’ve seen reports of “layaway angels” popping up and paying off layaway accounts at Kmart and Wal-Mart stores across the country; a woman in Winston-Salem dropped her emerald and diamond bracelet in a Salvation Army kettle and for the fourth year in a row a couple gave out $12,000 in $100 dollar bills to total strangers in Lincoln Park and Detroit. David Wilson, the owner of several car dealerships in Orange County, was so inspired by the “layaway angels” he wrote a $15,919.61 check to pay off the layaway accounts of lucky customers at a Kmart store in Costa Mesa. What’s inspiring the acts of goodwill and generous giving? Have you given money to a total stranger just for the sake of helping someone in need?

Guest: TBD

2:06 – 2:39

Dear Prudence, how should I navigate the holidays?

Happy holidays! Whether you’re choosing to spend this time with friends, by yourself, or with family, the winter holidays bring out the best and worst in us. We give and receive, compliment and complain, and carry with us the same expectations and concerns as always. If you’re worried about exploding at the dining room table, missing whomever it is you had a falling out with last year, or feeling trepidatious about reaching out and reconnecting, we’ve got the perfect guest for you: Slate’s “Dear Prudence” columnist Emily Yoffe is here to listen to your woes and to tell you to stop being such a scrooge.

Guest: Emily Yoffe, aka Dear Prudence, Slate’s advice columnist

2:41:30-2:48:00

Astronomers discover stars multiplying at shockingly high rate

It is difficult to imagine a galaxy in which the equivalent of about 100 of our suns per year are materializing, but that is exactly what astronomers have discovered in a blob-shaped galaxy called GN-108036. Stars are being created in this galaxy more than three times the rate than in our own Milky Way, which consequently renders GN-108036 the brightest extremely distant galaxy found to date. Researchers, including University of California, Riverside’s, Bahram Mobasher and his graduate student Hooshang Nayyeri, made the discovery using NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes. Because light from the distant galaxy has taken 12.9 billion years to reach us, scientists say that it lies near the beginning of time itself, which is thought to have originated about 13.7 billion years ago when the “Big Bang” occurred. This development indicates that events now being observed in this galaxy happened when the universe was only about five percent of its current age and may exemplify how most galaxies originally evolved. What implications might this amazing discovery have for future space exploration?

Guest:

Bahram Mobasher (BAH-rahm moh-BAH-sher), professor of physics and astronomy, University of California, Riverside

2:48:00 –2:58:30

John Henry Faulk’s Christmas Story

It was more than forty years ago that story-teller and radio host John Henry Faulk first recorded his “Christmas Story.” Since then it’s become a Christmas tradition. But Faulk was more than a story teller. Among other things, he was an activist, author, playwright, and husband. Faulk was branded a communist in the late fifties, but won a libel suit that helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist. He was known for his work as a proponent of civil rights and made speeches at universities on the First Amendment. But, let's hear that wonderful story he told so many years ago.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

1:30 – 1:58:30

Autism diagnoses spike: an epidemic in the making?

The number of children diagnosed with autism in the United States is twenty times higher than it was a generation ago and the disease affects approximately one percent of all children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Scientists are striving to determine an explanation for the spike, and one possible explanation could be that the percentage of people with autism has always been the same, but was gone previously undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. If the disorder is simply being more widely identified, then concerns about a possible epidemic can be disregarded. But as scientists and doctors examine the condition, parents and family members still struggle to take care of those suffering from the disorder. Many adults with autism have trouble fitting into society, are unable to maintain gainful employment, and struggle with associated high costs of healthcare. While some try to live with the disorder, others seek recovery through various treatments such as Applied Behavior Analysis. Although a lot of issues surrounding the disorder remain uncertain, one thing is clear: the way we diagnose, treat, and think about autism appears to be changing. How sufficient is our understanding and acceptance of people with autism? Have you ever wondered if you or a loved one might be autistic, but undiagnosed? What more can be done to improve recognizing and treating this disorder?

Alan Zarembo, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. He wrote the in-depth series, “Discovering Autism.”

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court and she was the tiebreaking vote on landmark cases such as Bush v. Gore. What she experienced there has made her a crusader for civics education. The Justice joins Patt to walk through what she believes will be her greatest legacy, www.iCivics.org, a web site designed to engage and educate today’s young people to become tomorrow’s civic leaders. Patt talks with her about the Justice’s legacy on the Supreme Court and the challenges of inspiring today’s students to become informed, active participants in our democracy and justice system.

Guest:

Sandra Day O’Connor, former Supreme Court Justice (1981-2006) appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan; she is also the founder of iCivics

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:00 – 1:30

OPEN

1:30 – 2:00

No books, no pencils, no paper, no learning. Are too many teachers paying for classroom supplies?

Faced with cuts, cuts and more cuts, teachers are on the frontlines of the school budget crisis and many wind-up spending their own money to get the supplies their students need. An eraser here, a few books there and it can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. How to do more with less is a conundrum teacher-after-teacher faces in these tough economic times. “If only we had the money to read this book or go on that field trip” is a conversation taking place in classrooms across the country. “Donors Choose,” an online charity that creates a connection between needy students and those who want to support public education is making those fantasies a reality. Public school teachers post individual classroom needs such as history books, paints for art class or microscope slides for biology and individual donors can contribute to the cost of purchasing those items. Is Donors Choose a viable alternative for funding public education? What impact is it having on those who are using it? Will this help buffer the pressure on teachers? How would you improvise if the school district couldn’t provide the books or supplies you needed? Would you be tempted to spend your own money?

BOTH TEACHERS HAVE USED DONOR’S CHOOSE & HAVE SPENT THEIR OWN MONEY ON SUPPLIES

2:00 – 2:40 LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy talks about changes, progress and shrinking budgets Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy recently announced an “historic” contract with United Teachers Los Angeles – an unprecedented agreement that Deasy called “groundbreaking work” that is aimed at providing more freedom for teachers, school administrators and parents to manage their respective schools. In terms of “value added” teacher assessments, L.A. Unified will continue to provide the media with teachers’ scores but will do so without identifying the instructors. The district got caught in a firestorm of controversy last year when assessments were made public and teachers could be singled out based on job performance.

California Governor Jerry Brown recently announced $1 billion in state budget cuts – on top of additional “trigger cuts” that will affect the district’s finances. The governor warns that additional cuts are on the horizon and LAUSD will have to find more places to cut. And high on the student body’s priorities is the district’s new healthful menu. Students have been crying foul that the new items on the cafeteria menu are less than appetizing – prompting the creating of a “junk food black market” where students are now eating more potato chips and soda than they did before the changes. What does John Deasy think LAUSD can do to deaL with the budget crisis? What other changes might we see from LAUSD in 2012?

Monday, December 19, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

1:30 – 1:58:30

California’s smallest baby raises host of really big questions

On August 30, 2011, doctors at the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center delivered Melinda Star Guido, the smallest baby ever to be born in the state of California and the second smallest baby to be born in the United States. Fully four months premature, Guido weighed 9 oz at birth; just one ounce more than a can of soda. Three and a half months later, Guido is up to 4 lbs, 1 oz. Doctors are happy with her progress but plan on monitoring her for the long term—at least until she hits 6 years old, barring any complications. Melinda’s parents, Haydee Ibarra, 22, and Yovani Guido, 24, are overjoyed. The story of the happy family has another side to it, however, and the ethical questions are beginning to percolate, beginning with whether or not it’s in anyone’s best interests to establish a policy of saving babies that might be prone to health problems for the rest of their lives. Also on the table are questions of economics and access—the total cost of raising Melinda is estimated at a half million dollars, most of which will be paid by the county and the state, due to the fact that her parents are on Medi-Cal. If keeping preemies born this early were to actually become a trend—even just a few—would publically-funded health care programs be able to absorb the costs? And if not, would that mean a whole demographic group left without access to these options? What are your thoughts on the ethical factors involved in premature births, and why? Do you have similar feelings about end-of-life care?

Guests:

Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania

With less than two weeks left in 2011, income tax accountants across America are reminding their clients to tie up loose ends and get their ducks in a row before January 1st. Tasks such as donating tax-deductable charitable gifts, making estate transfers and selling off certain investments must be finalized before the end of the year in order to be included on 2011 income tax statements. Amidst the distractions of the holiday season, it can be difficult to keep financial planning in mind, but advisers offer last minute advice and helpful tips for preparing to pay Uncle Sam. What is at the top of your list of tax preparation objectives? What questions and concerns do you have about filing your income tax statement for 2011? Has the recent economic recession changed the way you think about taxes?

Guest:

Selwyn Gerber, CPA and founder, Gerber & Co., Inc.

2:30 – 2:58:30

Holiday music at its best – and worst Christmas music…entire stations on the radio dial are devoted to it for at least a month every year. Record stores have entire sections full of it. It inspires delight and sometimes loathing, depending on your faith and musical preferences. But the thing about Christmas music is that it isn’t really a genre unto itself. In what other category do you find songs of every conceivable style and spanning several hundred years? There are songs sacred and secular; there are the time-honored melodies and more recent classics sung by Nat, Bing and Burl; there are pop novelty songs and countless others. It seems that every artist takes their turn at making a holiday album, sometimes using it as an excuse to foist unforgivable sins of bad musical taste upon the holiday masses. Christmas music even transcends religion - a significant percentage of the most cherished Christmas songs were written by Jewish composers. And what if you have no faith at all? Just try setting foot in a mall after Halloween without hearing sleigh bells. Which songs get you into the holiday spirit? And which ones make you pine for the end of the season? And does a song have to be vintage to be a Christmas classic?

Guest:Noel Murray, music and pop culture writer for The Onion’s A.V. Club

Friday, December 16, 2011

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:00 – 2:00

OPEN

2:00 – 2:40

Are Americans being robbed of their nest eggs? Ellen Schultz, author of “Retirement Heist,” says yes.

You’ve heard it before—the sound of big business crying out that it can’t pay its pensions, or that employee retirement plans are a drain on its profits. This is simply not the case, argues Ellen Schultz, an investigative report for the Wall Street Journal. Schultz has covered the retirement industry for nearly a decade, and her new book, “Retirement Heist: How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers” (Portfolio Penguin), details how the current retirement crisis “was manufactured by an alliance of two groups: top executives and their facilitators in the retirement industry—benefits consultants, insurance companies and banks.” Schultz explores how company executives exploited loopholes in regulations to turn pension funds into tax shelters and piggy banks—for themselves, that is. Other practices include siphoning from pensions to finance downsizing, cutting employee benefits while inflating executive pay, and excluding low-paid workers from 401(k)’s to increase the value for top-paid employees. Culprits include AT&T, Bank of America, IBM, Cigna, General Motors, GE, Comcast, UPS, and even the NFL. What does your pension plan look like these days, or have you given up on the idea? Should employers even be obligated to provide pensions? If so, what kind of protections should be put in place to make sure that the funds aren’t touched?

Guest:

Ellen Schultz, author of “Retirement Heist: How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers”; investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal

CALL HER:

2:40 – 3:00

Kathleen Turner turns up the heat in “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins”

Sass, spunk, and talent are three traits that actress Kathleen Turner shares with the late Molly Ivins, who died of breast cancer in 2007. Ivins, portrayed by Turner in a one-woman show entitled “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins,” is best known for her colorful work as a newspaper columnist for the New York Times among other publications. Ivins was a witty outspoken liberal from Texas who was often described as a modern-day Mark Twain. Turner has earned critical acclaim for her performance in the play, which will be showing at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles beginning January 3rd. Margaret and Allison Engel are the co-writers of the piece.

What do you think of Ivins as a journalist? Which contemporary female journalists are comparable to Ivins? How will Turner’s portrayal shape how Ivins is remembered?

Guests:

Kathleen Turner, actress known for her beauty and sexuality as shown in films such as “Body Heat” (1981) and “Prizzi’s Honor (1985); she was nominated for an Oscar for her role as a dissatisfied housewife who gets a second chance to alter her life in Francis Ford Coppola's moving “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986).